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Lotus solves E20's suspension problem

Lotus withdrew from last week's test with a suspension mounting problem © Sutton Images

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• 'It's been an intense few days'
  
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• Lotus leaves Barcelona test early due to chassis issues
  

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Lotus technical director James Allison is confident his team has fixed the problem that forced it to withdraw from testing last week without sacrificing any performance.

Lotus completed just seven laps at the second pre-season test after it discovered a problem with the mounting of the upper front wishbone rear arm. Allison says the issue has now been fixed and the car is ready to run again later this week.

"It's been an intense few days, but I have to say that everybody has completed their tasks in tremendous fashion," Allison said. "On the first day back at the factory, I spoke to the entire Enstone personnel and clearly explained what happened. Everybody understood that the situation was unfortunate, but under control. We designed the new parts, manufactured them, and fitted them to the chassis. We then completed the necessary tests satisfactorily and the chassis left for Spain."

He said the changes to the chassis added weight but he said the difference in the car's performance would be negligible.

"We're only talking about 1kg, which is manageable," Allison added. "It won't have any significant impact on handling or performance."

He said the team is remaining optimistic.

"Of course, missing four days of testing is not ideal. We need mileage at this stage of the year, as does any other team. That said, there are reasons to remain optimistic. First of all, we completed many trouble-free laps in Jerez and gained a good understanding of the car. Also, some of the small issues we identified in Jerez needed to be fixed, and the parts were not available last week. On Thursday, the car will run with all the required redesigned parts. We're looking forward to being back on track."